Verity Burns often sells her old tech online. When she is done with her phones, headphones, or laptops, she will place them on eBay in the hopes of making some extra cash. As a 32-year-old technology journalist, Burns can knowledgeably answer any questions that potential buyers might have. Yet though she doesn’t often make mistakes, those messaging her frequently do.
“If I’m ever selling tech there and get a question about it, the buyer almost always assumes I’m male… addressing me as mate, geez, bruv,” she says. Last year, when a man came to collect a purchase from her home, he was taken aback by Burns’ appearance. “He looked very confused when I opened the door,” she says. “He even said ‘Oh I thought you were a guy!’.”
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